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• Arne should Slot right in at Liverpool, says Meulensteen

  Rene Meulensteen believes Arne Slot is the right fit for the Liverpool job, with the Dutchman poised to take over next season.

  It was reported last month that Feyenoord and Liverpool reached an agreement in principle for Slot to replace Jurgen Klopp, who announced in January he would be leaving the club after nearly nine years.

  Slot led Feyenoord to their second Eredivisie title last season after taking over the club in 2021 and lifted the KNVB Cup in April after beating NEC Nijmegen.

  Slot’s attacking style of play has been likened to Klopp’s, with Meulensteen also recognising the similarities between the two coaches.

  Meulensteen, speaking on behalf of William Hill Vegas, told Stats Perform: "There was a lot of speculation about different names, with [Xabi] Alonso and the guy from Sporting [Ruben Amorim].

  "But then when Arne Slot's name came up, I didn't necessarily think that it was a bad choice and a bad decision. 

  "I like him. I rate him as a coach and as a person. I think he's got a likeability about him.

  "He's a good communicator, he plays a brand of football that is very much in line with what Klopp has done over the last few years. 

  "You won't see many differences there, he might tweak one or two things, but it will still be high press, high energy, dynamic football. 

  "The proof is always in the pudding, but in my opinion it is not a bad choice at all for Liverpool."

  However, the former Manchester United coach has warned that Slot needs to be prepared for the pressure that comes with being in charge of a club like Liverpool.

  He added: "Liverpool is a global brand, it's a big club, it brings different expectations, and winning the Premier League is the hardest thing to do, but the ambitions will be there for Liverpool. 

  "You need to be able to handle that. With clubs like Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, you want to be successful, but at the same time play in an attractive style of football.

  "So in my opinion, if he's clever, he has to bring somebody in his staff along who knows the Premier League and understands the Premier League.

  "Arne has never managed players that have the big egos and the big highly paid players that make £250,000 pounds per week, so that is another aspect.

  "I'm confident that he'll be able to deal with that and come to terms with that. We'll see how he fares, but I think it's a good appointment."

  Rene Meulensteen was speaking on behalf of William Hill Vegas: https://vegas.williamhill.com 

• Vinicius very close to first Ballon d'Or win, says Ancelotti

  Vinicius Jr's dazzling performances at Real Madrid have put the Brazil forward in the conversation to win his first Ballon d'Or and head coach Carlo Ancelotti feels the 23-year-old deserved to win the prestigious award.

  Vinicius has netted five times and provided as many assists in the Champions League alone this season to help Madrid book a place in the final, while also scoring 13 goals in LaLiga, which they clinched for a record-extending 36th time last weekend.

  The record 14-time European champions will take on German side Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final at Wembley on June 1.

  "He's doing a great job," Ancelotti told reporters ahead of Saturday's league trip to relegation-threatened Granada.

  "He's still got the Champions League final to come and then he'll be at the Copa America.

  "He's very close, and if he has positive results in both competitions, he could well win it [the Ballon d'Or].

  "Before I came to coach Madrid, I saw Vinicius on TV and I thought what an incredibly talented player he looked.

  "When I arrived here, that much was clear, and he's improved on many things to enhance that talent.

  "He's better at evading his markers now and has improved in front of goal as well. He's done so with a spectacular work ethic on a daily basis, he's focused in training and recovers well after matches.

  "He's a highly disciplined professional and he deserves everything he's achieved."

  But Ancelotti said the rest of his squad have been just as important in a campaign where several key players at Madrid have suffered injuries.

  Vinicius moved to the Santiago Bernabeu from Brazil's Flamengo in 2018.

  "He's among the best in the world and this is Vinicius' moment because he brings us so much. He's been important in us making the Champions League final and winning LaLiga. But we mustn't forget how the others have contributed," the Italian said.

  French defensive midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni is a doubt for the final after picking up an injury in their semi-final win over Bayern Munich on Wednesday.

  "[Goalkeeper] Thibaut Courtois will play, as will Eder Militao. They both need the game time. Andriy Lunin has to be ready to play as well. That's why I'll have to assess the goalkeeping issue in the coming games," Ancelotti said on team rotation.

  "We're not sure if Tchouameni will make it for the final but we'll do all we can to see if he can recover. The rest will rotate, including Antonio Rudiger and Nacho."

• Portland Timbers v Seattle Sounders: Neville calls on hosts to put foot down in derby

  Phil Neville believes the Portland Timbers have not picked up the points their performances have warranted this season, but he knows the time has come for them to put their foot down ahead of Sunday's Cascadia Derby against the Seattle Sounders. 

  Portland sit 12th in the Western Conference standings, below the Sounders on goal difference, after going eight MLS matches without a victory.

  Their 10 points through 11 games in 2024 represents their joint-worst return at this point of any MLS campaign (alongside 2014).

  Neville, however, believes they have deserved more as they prepare for a run of three home games in their next four.

  "I think the first thing to say is we are not making any excuses – the results have not been as good as we wanted," he said.

  "We've not got our just rewards but now we look forward to a stretch where we've got to perform better and get better results, we've got to put our foot down on the gas." 

  The Sounders have also struggled this term, though they have taken four points from their last two MLS games against the Philadelphia Union (3-2) and LA Galaxy (0-0).

  They then overcame Louisville City on penalties in the U.S. Open Cup in midweek, and coach Brian Schmetzer hopes they can carry on their momentum from that game on Sunday. 

  "This club has had a long history in the U.S. Open Cup, I like the tournament. It was certainly a challenge against a good, well-coached Louisville team," Schmetzer said.

  "We came out on top and hopefully this propels us a little bit in our league play."

  PLAYERS TO WATCH

  Portland Timbers – Maxime Crepeau

  Portland have conceded at least once in a club-record 17 successive regular-season matches, allowing 37 goals in that time.

  Goalkeeper Crepeau has faced 41 shots so far in MLS this term, preventing 1.13 goals according to Opta's expected goals on target (xGoT) model, conceding 14 times from 15.8 xGoT faced.

  Seattle Sounders – Raul Ruidiaz 

  Ruidiaz has 12 goals in 16 previous MLS matches against Portland (including playoffs), the most goals scored by any player against the Timbers in MLS play. 

  It's also the most goals scored by any MLS player against a single opponent since Ruidiaz made his debut in the competition in July 2018.

  MATCH PREDICTION – PORTLAND TIMBERS WIN

  The Timbers are unbeaten in six straight matches against the Sounders (four wins, two draws), the longest streak in all competitions by either team in the MLS era of their rivalry. 

  Portland have also won their last two home matches against Seattle after the Sounders won four of the previous five meetings at Providence Park.

  Seattle's 10 points through 11 matches this season are tied for the second-worst start in club history, having only collected eight points at this stage in 2018. Though the Timbers have been in dismal form themselves lately, this fixture could come at a good time for them.

  OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

  Portland Timbers – 41.5%

  Seattle Sounders – 30%

  Draw – 28.5%